Is Nicki Minaj: Hollywood or Humble?

2009 BET Hip Hop Awards, ATL
Back when Nicki Minaj was crew hopping between Brick Squad and Young Money, she frequented Atlanta regularly trying to get on. She was a sweetheart so everyone supported her, and oddly, no one questioned why she was claiming both labels, with loyalty to Gucci Mane & Lil Wayne. She was extra friendly to everybody. Anyone who looked important became her new best friend – she’d bend over backward, or forward, for a photo, interview, handshake, anything.

Gucci & Nicki – 2009 SEA’s, MS
You know what they say about trusting a girl with a smile and a big butt[pad]? Nicki would soon prove that theory correct. After her mixtape blew up and Wayne struck gold with Drake, the brunette bombshell bounced on Gucci and their manager. It was the beginning of New Nicki. Nicki the Barbie Bitch.

With a following of hot-pink lipstick wearing lacefronted soldiers, she was no longer the humble, dimple-faced cutie everyone loved. She was a scary cult leader. She developed a bizarre voice infliction, which hasn’t been cured to this day, and her rapping went from sounding fresh to resembling an exorcism of multiple demons. She also seems to think Halloween is 365 days a year. Someone tell her it’s not.

No longer thirsty for camera time, she hired a huge wall of security to shove fans and media away. Her smiles and hugs turned to whines and temper tantrums. And rumors of ridiculous backstage concert demands surfaced (a recent rider list can be seen here).

I doubt anyone was surprised by her outbreak of rage against Mariah Carey on American Idol. The diva is on a crusade to becoming Queen Hollywood. We miss the original Nicki, the one who could rap her ass off. No pun.

2009 Nicki, right after Beam Me Up Scotty came out. When she first realized the tape was gigantic.